T-Birds advance to title game

I-S girls top Grantsburg 5-3

By Greg Seubert

Brooklyn Berrens is making the most out of her first season of high school softball.

The freshman had three hits and scored three runs for Iola-Scandinavia June 8 in the Thunderbirds’ 5-3 win over Grantsburg in a WIAA Division 4 state semifinal.

The T-Birds will now face Waterloo for a state championship at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, June 10, at Goodman Diamond in Madison.

Grantsburg came into the game as the defending Division 4 state champion and the top seed.

Iola-Scandinavia never trailed in the game and opened the scoring in the top of the first inning, as Berrens singled, stole second and scored on Clara Koles’ double.

The Pirates tied the game in the bottom half of the inning.

The T-Birds added another run in the third, as Koles tripled with two outs and scored on Marin Hoyord’s single.

Iola-Scandinavia then came up with two more runs in the fifth. Maddie Much reached on an infield single, stole second base and scored on a wild pitch. Berrens later scored on Koles’ groundout.

Grantsburg scored in the fifth to cut the T-Birds’ lead to 4-2.

Berrens scored the T-Birds’ final run in the seventh inning, as she singled, stole second base and scored on Koles’ single.

Berrens, Koles and Julia Munoz each had three of the T-Birds’ 12 hits. Much went the distance on the mound to get the win and gave up 12 hits while striking out four batters.

Renee Tooze led Grantsburg with three hits and Whitney Myers took the loss on the mound.